The boys varsity basketball team defeated Blue Valley West during the Sweetheart game on Friday night, 62-49.

Before the game began, seniors Arman Alhosseini and Suruchi Ramanujan were crowned as Sweetheart King and Queen.

“I was pretty surprised [I won],” Alhosseini said. “I thought of the five people nominated, the other four were just as deserving as I was. I was pretty thankful that I was voted by my peers, so I thank them for that.”

Once the game began, neither team asserted much dominance throughout the first three quarters. At the end of the first quarter, BVNW led 14-12. At half, the score was 28-25, and at the end of the third quarter, the teams were tied at 38-38. However, sophomore player Joseph Pleasant said the team was able to successfully build momentum through the fourth quarter.

“We let it get to a close game,” Pleasant said. “We should’ve started out earlier and just jumped on them earlier. But in the end, we still got the win… and we put it away in the fourth quarter.”

Head coach Ed Fritz said the team’s performance in the fourth quarter was crucial to the win.

“[During] the fourth quarter, we got some steals, and that led to lay-ups and dunks,” Fritz said. “I thought we played a really good fourth quarter.”

BVNW’s first defeat this season was back in January against BVW. Alhosseini, the team’s manager, said this loss helped motivate the team in preparation for Friday’s game.

“[The players] were pretty disappointed about [losing to BVW], and the coaches were [too],” Alhosseini said. “They wanted kind of a revenge to show that they are still a state contender, and they played well.”

Pleasant said he thinks the team picked up its pace during the fourth quarter because time was running out and the desire to defeat BVW.

“[The game] was strictly business,” Pleasant said. “Time [was] running out, and we were thinking, ‘We have to win this game; this is a must win right now.’ We’re trying to be a top ranked team for state, so it’s now or never.”

The basketball team will play two more regular season games before substate begins. Fritz said the team needs to work on its execution, and he hopes the team can finish strong to get to the state tournament.

“All we can do is grow from here,” Pleasant said. “I think the future’s bright for us.”